Hinged ratchet wrench



Patented Sept. l, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HINGED RATQHET WRENCH Rikio Nakano, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application May 29, 1940, serial No. 337,817

(c1. :i1-ss) 1 Claim.

'I'his invention relates to hinged ratchet wrench.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly improved hinged ratchet wrench for tightening or taking olf bolts and nuts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described having a pivoted handle which may operate at any angle.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a simple adjusting mechanism to reverse the operation of the ratchet from right to left.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable device of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to adjust, and manipulate, and which shall yet be practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

'I'he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a hinged ratchet wrench, embodying the invention, and showing the ratchet and wrench in a position where it is swung ninety degrees with respect to the handle, in dotted lines;

Fig. 1a is a side elevational view of a rod which may be inserted through an opening in the handle of the device shown in Fig. 1, and facilitate rotation thereof when the device is used in a position shown in full lines in Fig. 1;

Fig. 1b is an extension member which may be used in conjunction with the wrench shown in Fig. 1, to extend the length thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lower portion of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modified construction;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 6, but illustrating a still further modified construction; and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of the pawl and ratchet illustrating various modifications of the pawl.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I0 designates a hinged ratchet wrench, embodying the invention, comprising generally a handle II and a reversible ratchet mechanism I2 hinged thereto, as at I3, and carrying a square wrench I4, adapted to t into a socket.

The ratchet I2 comprises a housing lli having a lower case portion I'I formed with a bottom wall I8 and an upwardly extending cylindrical wall I9. The bottom wall I8 is formed with a central opening 20 and with a smaller oiset opening 2l. The cylindrical wall I9 is formed on the inner surface thereof with a radial socket 2id. A cen- 'tral radial through opening 22 connects the sock-v et with the exterior of the case Il.

On the case II is a cover 24 comprising a bottom wall 25 contacting the upper edge of the cylindrical wall I9, and bolted, screwed or riveted thereto by a plurality of equiangularly spaced fastener members 26 interconnecting the walls I8 and 251. v

Wall 25 is formed with an opening 28 aligned with wall 2|. Extending upwardly from wallY 25 is a boss 29 formed with a horizontal through opening 3). 'Ihe upper surface of boss 29 is rounded, as at 32, and said rounded surface is formed with a shallow notch 33 at the top, and with similar notches SEI at the sides thereof. Wall 25 is formed with a central socket 31, aligned with the central opening 20.

Rotatably mounted in the housing I6 is the wrench member I4. The same has a central, upwardly extending axle l rotatably received in the Abearing opening 3'I. Member I5 is furthermore formed with an vannular portion 22 rotatably received in the opening 20. Between the portions 4) and 42 is a ratchet portion 3 Icomprising la plurality of spaced teeth 1M.

The lower portion Ilia, of member Ill is square or of any other suitable polygonal shape, and ,carries la spring pressed ball i6 adapted to snap into a notch in a socket opening into which the portion I4a is inserted.

Rotatably mounted on the housing I6, is a pawl `till. The pawl 50 has axles 5I and `52 `iournalled in the openings 2I and Z. The axle 52 projects above the upper surf-ace of wall 25 and is Aformed with a kerf 53 so that the pawl may be rotated by a screw driver. The outer surface of the axle 52 is preferably knurled so that the pawl may be rotated lby hand. It must be iconsidered that the axle 52 may be made in several different shapes without departing -from its operation. Pawl 50 has wings 54 and 55 fonmed with teeth engaging prongs 54a and 55a.

Slidably mounted in the socket 2Ia of cylindrical wall I 9, is a spring pressed pin E0, adapted to press against the rear of the pawl 50. The pawl has a V-shaped rear portion B2 forming surfaces 62a, 62D at an angle to one another. When the pawl 50 is in the position shown in Fig. of the drawings, the spring pressed pin 60 presses against the surface 62h. In such position, when the casing IS is rotated in a clo'ckwise direction, the end or prong 54a will ride over the teeth 44 without turning member I4.

However, when the casing is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the prong 54a will cause the member I4 to rotate with the casing. Upon rotating the .pawl 5I) in a clockwise direction, from the position shown in Fig. 5, to bring the prong Ella into engagement with the ratchet, the spring pressed pin 6i) will snap onto surflazce 62a, and in suich position, the wrench member I4 can only be rotated in a c-lofckwisedirection.

The handle II has a pair of bifurcated arms I la, Vstraddling the boss 23 and formed with .aligned openings I Ib to receive the hinged pin I3 passing t-hrough the bearing opening 30, for hinging the handle II to mem-ber I2. Handle II is formed with a horizontal through opening 'I0 at its upper end, through which a rod 'II may be insertedto operate the device .I Il when the handle II is upright or in alignment with the wrench :member I4.

In Fig. 1b there is shown an extension member 'I2 having a socket I3 at one end to fit into member I4. The member I4 is provided with a spring pressed ball 46adapted to snap into Va depression in the socket '13 to aid in keeping the extension :member 'I2 in place.

Ii desired, member VI2 maybe rotated about hinged pin I3 .to the dotted line position vshown in Fig. Land the handle I I `may be operatedin such -position without the need for the rod 1I. Of course, the member I2 may be rotated in an opposite direction, relative to the handle II, so yas .to be located in a position, opposite to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

At the bottom of the handle Il, is a spring pressed ball 'I8 adaptedto snap into the depressions 33 and 3i?, to retain the member I2 in the positions to which it is moved relative to vthe handle II.

The device shown in Fig. 6 varies from the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, only in that a pair of bifurcated arms 80 extend upwardly from the top wall 25, to receive the lower end 8l of a handle hinged thereto vby a transverse pin 83. The lower end 8| of the handle is rounded and is provided with a plurality of depressions 84 to receive a spring pressed ball 86 located between the arms 8).

In Fig. 7 the bifurcated arms I Ia'of the handle I I are hinged to pins 13a located on the casing I6. Otherwise, the structure shown in Fig. '7 is similar to Figs. l to 5 of the drawings.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a housing Ia, similar to housing I6, with the exception that in the former the pawl 5I] is held in one or the other of its alternate positions by a flat strip spring a, the ends whereof are engaged in recesses 50h of the housing. The mid portion of the strip spring 50a is bowed and presses against the pawl, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

In Fig. 9 the ratchet 43m is similar to the ratchet 43, except that it is formed with V- shaped teeth 44a, and the pawl 50c cooperating therewith has V-shaped wings adapted to be received between the teeth.

In Fig. 10 the ratchet 43a. is the same as in Fig. 9, but the pawl 58d has wings each formed with a pair of teeth 50e to be received between the teeth of the ratchet 43a.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the vconditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illus- Jtrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having ythus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A device of the character described comprising a memberhaving `a bottom wall and an annular upstanding wall, said bottom wall being formed with a central opening and an opening oiset from the axis of said bottom wall, said member being open at its upper end, a second member to close the upper end of the rst member, comprising a top wall contacting the upper edge of the upstanding wall, and a boss extending upwardly from said top wall and formed with a horizontal through opening, the underside of said top wall being formed with an axial socket, and said Itop wall being formed with an opening offset from the axis thereof and aligned with the oiset opening in said bottom wall, means for attaching said top wall to said bottom wall, whereby said members form a casing, a third member having a ratchet portion disposed within the casing, and a stem portion projecting through the central opening in vthe bottom wall, a portion rotatably mounted within the axial opening on the underside of said top wall, a pawl within said casing having axle portions rotatably received within the offset openings of said top and bottom walls, said pawlghavingwingsadapted to selectively engage -the teeth of said ratchet, said upstanding wall beingformed on the inner surface 'thereof withV a recess, a Vspring pressed plunger within said recess adapted to engage said pawl, to retain -either one or the other of the wings thereof in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet portion, said pawl having a portion prjeting above -said top -wa-ll and formed with a er RIIiIO NAKANO. 

